BY: RICHARD FORDSo what does the social networking phenomenon offer the foodie? Scratch the surface of Facebook's mighty interface, and it's easy to find hundreds of groups where food is the central theme. Like food blogs, these bring people together to share and bicker over issues of taste and appetite, from groups that act as forums for exchanging recipes or worship a particular celebrity chef to those that campaign to change food policy.
On the “Guacamole recipe exchange”, for example, members chew the fat on whether genuine guacamole should contain coriander, or not. They swap recipes, too, including one for a hangover-curing avocado milkshake made with milk, sugar and avocados, blended. Other purists report back, horrified, on finding catering establishments selling guacamole that contains mayonnaise.
As well as policing the minutiae of recipes in the name of authenticity, Facebook has a whole host of groups championing their favourite ingredients. Lisa, from Australia, runs the "Halloumi, the best cheese in the world" group and tracks her prime example of the cheese to a little back alley store, in Annandale, New South Wales.
And flying in the face of his religion, one member of the “Jews who love bacon” group confesses his passion for congealed bacon fat from the frying pan spread onto toasted challah (a traditional Jewish bread enriched with egg).
Politically motivated food for thought comes from the “End Sri Lanka’s use of medicine and food as weapons of war against Tamils!” group, whose creators promise to donate $500 (£375) to the World Food Programme once its Facebook group gains 10,000 members.
In contrast, the light-hearted and seriously non-gourmet "I want to see Gabe Freeman eat cat food" saw its founder, Gabe Freeman, promise members that he would eat a can of cat food for every 200 people who joined before 13 August 2008. True to his word, he has since posted a video of himself carrying out his promise on Youtube. Yuk.
Islamic Cooking Recipes
This group was set up when the creator’s mother converted to Islam and wanted to know more about Halal cookery. It now contains hundreds of Halal-inspired recipes, including pumpkin chocolate chip loaves, lamb shawarma, and asparagus crepes.
This group was set up when the creator’s mother converted to Islam and wanted to know more about Halal cookery. It now contains hundreds of Halal-inspired recipes, including pumpkin chocolate chip loaves, lamb shawarma, and asparagus crepes.
